


The Masks We Wear

by sagely_sea



Series: King's Assassin [2]
Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ambiguous Relationships, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 06:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5081164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagely_sea/pseuds/sagely_sea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The King of Hyotei, Atobe, has been receiving death threats before the masquerade ball. He tasks Tezuka, an assassin who owes him a life debt and now acting as his personal advisor with discovering who it is before the ball occurs. With help from Oshitari, a favoured courtier, will the two be able to protect the young king?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Masks We Wear

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the King's Assassin series and a sequel to Tea for Two.

Tezuka walked across the hall and towards the king who was currently surrounded by various attendants and tradesmen. There seemed to be a level of excitement to the happenings and despite knowing better, Tezuka walked toward Atobe and hoped he would not be caught up in whatever was going on now. It was a vague hope since in the time that he had been acting as personal attendant for the King of Hyoutei he had managed to evade a surprisingly limited number of activities that Atobe had brought forth for hm. It was somewhat disconcerting to the assassin though he could not explain exactly why. 

Atobe looked over as Tezuka approached and gave him a large smile. “Perfect timing. Look at what just arrived.” 

“What is it?” Tezuka asked. 

“The masks for the party, of course.” Atobe selected one and handed it over to Tezuka. “Try it on.” 

Tezuka looked at the sparkling and feathered mask in his hand and tried to picture a time when he may have hinted to Atobe that he wanted something like this or would be happy to wear it. Drawing a blank on either, he then looked around at all of the attendants, courtiers and members of the guard who so clearly expected to see something entertaining. The majority believed him an advisor in name only and the title earned through a continued affair with the king. The truth of him trying and failing to assassinate their beloved king and then owing him a life debt would probably seem much more ludicrous to them despite it being much more accurate. 

Still, the rumours worked to their advantage and it would not be good to have a public quarrel over such a trifling matter. With great reluctance and a sigh, he held the mask up to his face though he did not fully put it on. “Is it not a bit much?” He asked as he looked at Atobe through the mask. 

He would have much preferred a simple mask of singular colour and without any feathers or gemstones. 

“Hmmm perhaps a little. But the point of a masked ball is to go all out and have fun. And how shall we properly enjoy my birthday celebration if our advisor is hovering over our shoulder in a dull costume?” 

“I suppose I will just have to make do then,” Tezuka said as he handed the mask back to Atobe and looked at the even more extravagant one being held by a nearby attendant that undoubtedly belonged to Atobe himself. Perhaps he should just be thankful that Atobe had showed some restraint when it came to his own mask, even if it were not obvious. 

“That’s a good man,” Atobe said, clearly pleased that Tezuka did not argue for less feathers. “Now, why were you looking for us?” 

“I came to remind you about our lunch meeting. I know how you can forget them if someone doesn’t remind you.” Truthfully they had not made prior arrangements but Tezuka needed some of Atobe’s time to express his concerns over some disturbing mail they had received lately. Expressing his desires to eat lunch with the king privately would also add to his cover. Even though there were plenty of valid reasons why an advisor would want to eat lunch alone with his king, he was sure that the court would only see it as him wanting some time alone with his lover without everyone hovering around nearby. 

“Of course. Is it that time already?” Atobe asked not missing a beat and acting all along as if they had plans. Tezuka gave a suitable nod. “Kabaji, see to the rest of this. We trust we’ll be well looked after until you join us again,” Atobe easily commanded before brushing past the no longer wanted entourage. 

\----

“So now that you have me alone, what is it you wish to discuss?” Atobe asked as he stepped toward the table that Tezuka had actually prepared for them in the middle of Atobe’s favoured rose garden. 

“It’s about the ball.” 

“If it’s about the mask, I suppose we could lose some of the feathers but I really think it will take away from the overall look of the outfit.” 

Tezuka did not dare ask how many feathers the rest of his outfit had if the mask had to match and instead focused on the topic at hand. “While it’s about the mask, it’s not in the way you think. I know you’re aware of the threats that have been made against you. And while we all feel that cancelling the ball would be the safest option we know it’s not one that you’ll take. So, we thought a compromise.” 

“I’m listening,” Atobe said as he poured them both a glass of champagne. 

“Perhaps you could change the theme so it’s no longer a masked ball,” Tezuka said hoping that Atobe would see reason. “It would help us identify threats more easily.” 

“What do I have to fear when I have a diligent and elite guard as well as an assassin pledged to save my life? “ Atobe slid over a champagne flute, seemingly not bothered at all by the fact that his life was in danger. 

“I can only kill someone if I know who to look for.” 

“Then you’ll just have to find out who it is you need to kill and dispatch them before they can dispatch me. I suggest doing so before they slip on a mask and sneak into my party. Now sit, and let’s enjoy our lunch.” 

Tezuka sighed and sat down though he ignored his champagne in favour of the iced tea instead. At least he could enjoy a delicious meal in a lovely setting with quite nice company before he set about the impossible task Atobe had just set for him. 

 

\---

Tezuka sat in Oshitari’s library and took a sip of the drink that Oshitari had just prepared for him. It was still easiest to discuss unsavoury things while at Oshitari’s townhouse away from prying eyes and ears that the castle seemed to be full of. It also meant that Atobe could not randomly wander in and join them despite the meetings and business of the kingdom he should really be doing. They had learned quite early on that if they wanted Atobe to focus on his work and be able to do theirs that they needed to be somewhere that the king could not easily get to. 

So he was in a chair that he now thought of as his usual seat and considered the small fire that was keeping the room warm despite the cooler evening. “Do you think it’s someone from Seigaku?” While he did not think that anyone had suspected he was responsible for the previous king’s death him taking the position of advisor in Hyoutei so soon after had to be suspicious. 

“No. You left on good terms and you were always known for your wandering ways. The rumour of your dalliance with Atobe helps as well,” Oshitari said with a shrug. “Besides, we recently received an invitation from the young king inviting you to the tournament next year. Apparently your presence has been sorely missed.” 

Tezuka nodded at that. Reassured that he would not be hunting down Fuji, Echizen’s older and overprotective brother or worrying about a new poison from Inui. But that did not bring them any closer to finding the culprit of the letters. 

“I believe we can also discount anyone from the Rikkai Empire. We do not seem to be a high priority for the empire. And their ambassador here has been acting no different than usual,” Oshitari went on as he flipped through a journal in the chair across from Tezuka’s.

“That’s reassuring. Rikkai is known for their ruthlessness as well as their thoroughness at taking down those that oppose them,” Tezuka said. 

“We’ll face that obstacle if and when it arrives. For now, I think our threat is from closer to home.” 

Tezuka had to agree. The other kingdoms and states had no motivation to threaten the king of Hyoutei and cause instability in the region as the upper nobles fought for the title of king. And if it was another assassin sent to finish what Tezuka did not they would hardly announce their presence with letters. And they would most likely target him first so he would not interfere with their assignment. 

So it meant that it was someone who was either trying to discourage or scare Atobe or were arrogant enough to send threats and follow through with them. A few names popped into Tezuka’s head that were worth considering. Those that he knew Atobe had vexed in recent months either through snubs at public or private events or because he brought the sword of justice upon them and stopped some illegal dealings that nearly all nobles seemed to dabble in. There were also those who were just greedy and thought they could advance in standing if the king were to die. Those people could be no less dangerous than those that were angered by the king. And often times, they were deluded enough to think themselves important and capable of doing the deed. 

Unfortunately, Tezuka did not now who all of the ambitious nobles were and if they were indeed capable of such acts or not. He knew of a few noble ladies who hoped to win Atobe’s favour and become queen but none that would resort to murdering him. 

“Who would stand to gain by his death? It seems as logical a place to start as any.” Tezuka hoped that with Oshitari’s help they could move through the list of potential killers in time to handle it before the day of the ball. He also hoped that his assumption that it was someone at court and not any of the guilds or gangs in the city were the ones responsible. There were a few clues to suggest it was by a noble hand but his intuition also told him that it as the correct direction to look at. 

 

\----

It had been two weeks and they were no closer to discovering the ones responsible for the letters despite receiving more of them. All they could say for their hard work was that the list of potential murderers was shortening by the day. Though much more slowly than Tezuka would like. 

And it certainly didn’t help that Atobe seemed to not care at all about the continued threat on his life. Perhaps as a king he had long since grown used to such things but surely he could understand that added risk of masks and a party filled with others. 

He sighed causing Atobe to look over at him from his bath. “Something on your mind Tezuka?” He asked before taking a sip of champagne. 

Tezuka set aside the papers that he had made no progress on and looked at Atobe who seemed to be soaking without a care in the world. Shared bathtime was the perfect opportunity to not only keep his reputation of Atobe’s favoured lover but to also keep the ever lurking guards away so they could talk privately. It did not make the event any less awkward though and Tezuka tried to keep himself occupied with actual work while Atobe was wet, naked and relaxed in the tub. 

“Your would be murderer.” 

“Have you not dealt with them yet?” Atobe asked leaning forward. 

“You know we haven’t. Though we have eliminated numerous candidates from the list.” 

“You make it sound as if I have more enemies than allies.” 

“You’re a king. Apparently that gives people plenty of reason to blame you for even the most asinine things,” Tezuka said. He had been a bit taken aback at some of the candidates Oshitari had brought forth and the reasons why they could want Atobe dead. He hoped he would never become as petty as some of the lesser nobles. 

“Ha! They can try. But so many of them lack the courage to even look me in the eye let alone kill me.” 

“One cannot risk getting careless,” Tezuka said holding back an exasperated sigh. 

“And I’m not. I’ve increased the number of guards around me and have discussed security measures with all those that need to know.” Atobe reached out from the tub and took his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “I’ll be fine.” 

“I would rest easier if we knew who was so boldly threatening you.” He gave a small squeeze back before releasing Atobe’s hand and reaching for a towel to dry his own off with. 

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. But perhaps you two should stop looking at who wants revenge or further titles and more towards those with a more personal bias against me. There are some who feel I do not give them enough time or that I’m responsible for all the bad luck they have in life. They feel that perhaps the next monarch would give them the time and appreciation their hard work deserves.” As Tezuka just gave him a questioning look, Atobe continued. “A watchmaker of mine was discussing some unfortunate business he had with an apprentice who was dissatisfied with the level of acknowledgement and praise he was getting.” 

Tezuka considered that, as he handed Atobe his towel as he rose from the tub. The first time he had delayed in passing the object over when Atobe had asked, despite easily being able to reach it himself, Tezuka had been rewarded with Atobe putting on a ridiculous display of various poses the king must have thought alluring while he stood naked and dripping in the tub.

“Thank you,” Atobe said before stepping out from the tub. “And you should try to look a little less buttoned up and perfect when you leave today. People will start to think that all you do is use my tub as a foot rest while you read.”

“Then they would be scarily accurate in their guessing,” Tezuka said. If someone other than Atobe’s inner circle was able to say exactly what Tezuka did during their shared baths, he would have to have words with them in private about spying on the king. As it was, he supposed Atobe did occasionally have a point and moved to undo a button or two of his jacket and then dipped his hand into the bath water and ran it through his hair. 

His thoughts were already back on what Atobe had said though. Atobe had a point about the potential murderer. Maybe Oshitari and him had been looking at people who were too obvious and they needed to change direction. It was something to consider and bring up with Oshitari the next time they had a moment alone together. Unfortunately, it would set back their search even further and the masked ball was getting dangerously close. 

“Much better,” Atobe said. And before Tezuka realized it, Atobe was pressed up beside him in nothing but a towel and messing up his hair. He really had to get better at not dropping his guard when the other was around. 

“Is this necessary?” Tezuka asked as Atobe continued to help him look more rumpled. 

“Of course. I have a reputation to maintain. I can’t have the court thinking my prowess is anything but top level. I leave even the most proper of advisors in a state of disarray after any amount of time alone.”

“How foolish of me to forget so,” Tezuka said finally stepping back from Atobe and trying to tug his clothes back into some order from Atobe’s ministrations on them. He wasn’t even sure how Atobe managed to undo so many buttons in such a short amount of time. “I should go work on some papers for tomorrow. Will you be fine for rest of the night?” 

“Kabaji will be near as will the usual guards in the anteroom.” 

“And the tunnels?”

“The secret tunnels you are not supposed to know about?” Atobe asked with a teasing smirk and Tezuka gave a simple nod in reply. 

He was sure that Kabaji had still not forgiven him for accidentally startling him when they had encountered each other in the tunnels. Both on sensitive errands for the king and taking advantage of the discrete shortcuts the tunnels could offer. 

“There are enough guards hiding about in the walls of my castle to make even you think twice about using them.” 

“I will take your word for that. Tonight, I shall stick to the main halls.” 

“Good. I’d hate for all my work to go to waste. And Tezuka, if you are arranging meetings could you put any of the agriculture based ones after lunch? They tend to make me hungry before hand and if for some reason lunch runs long, I never feel too guilty about cancelling on them.” 

Tezuka shook his head slightly at the request but made a mental note to do so. He knew Atobe took his job seriously and was indeed impressed at how hard the king worked to know what was happening in every part of his kingdom and how he could make it better. But he could also understand Atobe’s desire to avoid the less than interesting meetings from time to time. Having sat in on a few, he now knew which ones to avoid if he was able to. 

“If that’s all. I will take my leave.” 

“That is all. Though will I be seeing you again tonight?” 

Tezuka thought of all the things he had to do and now all the new people he had to research with Oshitari and shook his head. “Not tonight. I will try to be in attendance for breakfast.” He wasn’t quite sure how it started exactly but somehow he now spent several nights a week sharing the king’s bed. Or at least his chambers since he more often fell asleep on the couch or in a chair with his legs propped up on the bed as he reviewed papers far too long into the night. 

Despite Atobe’s desire to chat at times, he found the King’s chambers to be quiet and inviting and he had kept drifting there when his own rooms felt too empty or the neighbouring rooms too noisy. It was convenient to always have the excuse that it helped his cover. It allowed him to evade any questions from Atobe or Oshitari and even avoid looking too closely at his own motivations.

“Sleep well, Atobe,” Tezuka said as he started heading to the door with his papers. 

“And you, too,” Atobe replied though they both knew that Tezuka would be too busy trying to keep Atobe safe from a would be murderer to do so. 

 

\-----

Tezuka sighed as he looked at the list of people he thought of potential suspects and then sighed again as he glanced to Atobe’s schedule for tomorrow. Perhaps he should have let the title of personal advisor be nothing more than a ruse so that Atobe could keep his lover close. But Tezuka liked to stay busy and be useful and taking on some of Atobe’s duties and properly advising him was actually quite rewarding. But with the upcoming ball, the murder threats and Atobe’s dislike of current ministers it was all culminating in the form of a large headache. 

Tezuka stood and moved from behind his desk, intent on seeing if there were any servants walking past his office that he could send to go get coffee. His hand was just reaching for the door handle when the door opened. A lesser man may have been startled, but Tezuka merely stepped back so he would not be trampled as Oshitari made his entrance. 

“Lord Oshitari,” Tezuka said in greeting. He gestured for Oshitari to fully enter before closing the door behind him. “It’s unusual for you to visit me here.” 

“Unusual but not so much as to make tongues wag. Besides, if you’re feeling like I do, I thought you could use some coffee… suitably spiked of course.” Oshitari set the mugs down on the desk followed by various snacks that were clearly scrounged from the kitchen staff Tezuka knew he liked to flirt with. 

With a nod, Tezuka moved back to his chair and picked up the mug. After a slight sniff at the contents he decided there was more coffee than alcohol and took a sip. “Thank you. And have you found out anything about those Atobe suggested we look into?” 

“It’s slow going. Even for me,” Oshitari confessed. 

“Then Atobe’s hint hasn’t helped and the ball is in two days time,” Tezuka didn’t sigh but he did adjust his glasses as he considered the list on his desk. 

“We’ll keep him safe, Tezuka. Though it does warm me to see you worry.” 

“I owe him a life debt. I have no choice but to be concerned about his safety.” Tezuka hoped to nip Oshitari’s romantic side in the bud before it got going. Since he had won Oshitari over the other had seemed quite taken with the idea of him and Atobe going from enemies to lovers or some such. He almost preferred the suspicious looks and doubt in his motives. 

“If that’s what you need to keep telling yourself,” Oshitari said. It always made Tezuka worried when Oshitari gave in that quickly but there were other things to focus on tonight. 

“If you have no news, why did you come?” 

“To see if you had any breakthroughs. And to perhaps start discussing backup plans. I’m sure you’ve already been thinking of alternative ways to protect the king.” 

Tezuka hid his urge to sigh again by taking another sip of his coffee. “The best course of action would still be to know who those making threats are before the party. The masks will add an extra element of confusion that could lead to mistakes.” And Tezuka did not like getting careless or risk harming the wrong people. 

“We are rapidly running out of time to make that course of action a reality, Tezuka. I’ve been through all the gossip and called in all the favours I could think of that would be of use.” 

Tezuka could understand Oshitari’s frustration. But he was an assassin, not an investigator and while he could formulate numerous plans to dispatch a person he could only do so if he knew who that person was. “We can start thinking of that after tomorrow. We could still find something,” Tezuka said. 

“I suppose that’s true.” Oshitari took a long drink of his own coffee before reaching for a muffin he had brought. His eyes then landed on Atobe’s schedule for tomorrow. “Oh… he’s not going to be in a good mood tomorrow. His afternoon is filled with all of those agriculture ministers.” 

“He asked me to try to reschedule them… or to keep him busy so he can have a reason to be late. But he seems to have cancelled on a few of these ministers several times recently and while I understand how dry the meetings can be surely they must have something of interest to say on occasion,” Tezuka said.

“So you don’t plan on taking pity with him and arranging a lovers’ long lunch?” Oshitari asked. 

“I really don’t think it wise to indulge him too mu-” Tezuka stopped talking and picked up the schedule paper again and then quickly flipped through the book filled with previous schedules and their corrections of cancelled activities. 

“What is it?” Oshitari asked as he stood to get a better look. 

“I think I have our new suspects,” Tezuka said. If they were to believe Atobe’s hunch about the murderers being someone that he had spurned or failed to recognize then these two would certainly be near the top of any list. “Do you know who the Minister of sustainable mountain farming and the minister of sheep are?”

“They’re the representatives from the province of Yamabuki.” 

“And their names?” Tezuka asked. 

“Does it not say in the schedule?”

“No. Just their titles. And it also shows that out of all of the agriculture ministers, these are the two that seem to be cancelled on the most. They would certainly hold a grudge about that.” Tezuka passed over the schedule book for Oshitari to look over before moving to a bookshelf in his office. After skimming the titles for a moment he pulled out the one that would list all the current ministers and brought it back. “Higashikata and Minami. I don’t suppose you could remember them long enough to find out more about them?”

“We’ll have to hope that they aren’t quite as forgettable to everyone else,” Oshitari said. “But if I am to be off mingling for gossip all day tomorrow, I best make an early night of it.”

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at Oshitari’s rather hasty retreat instead of staying to at least finish his coffee. “And it has nothing to do with the footsteps that have passed by here three times and have since stopped not far away?” 

“I’m quite glad you’re on our side, Tezuka. But as you pointed out, I seem to be late for my next appointment. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He rose and took his coffee mug with him as he left the room.

Tezuka didn’t see who it was clearly that was waiting for Oshitari but the voice was male and seemed to have long hair. He was quite sure the person was more likely to be Oshitari’s current fling than a secret source looking to share the identity of those that would harm the king. But he supposed they all handled stress in different ways. 

That in mind, he looked back to his book, determined to learn as much about these ministers and their duties as he could. 

 

\----

When Atobe returned to his room after a quick meal in his study he was not in a good. A long afternoon of tedious meetings that all ran overly long caused him to miss the castle’s main dinner and then a seemingly endless stream of questions for tomorrow’s party had to be answered. He was just about to bar the door and sneak out his office window, something that would be very unbecoming of a king, when Ohtori came into the room to announce that there were no more meetings and wanted to know if the king would like to take in evening activities or head back to his room. 

As he hadn’t been rescued by his personal advisor he felt it best to retire and see if Tezuka was waiting in his room. He was not as immune to death threats on his person as he acted and it would be best to know if tonight could possibly be his last or if his protector had finally found something.

Also, if Tezuka had merely spent the afternoon and evening perusing the library and taking in the view from the upper floors then Atobe would have to have words with him about not rescuing him from the agriculture meetings. It may not put his life at risk but it certainly put his sanity in dire peril. 

“Tezuka, you better have good news for me since you allowed my ministers to torture me all afternoon,” Atobe said as he left behind the last of his guards in the anteroom and stepped into his bedroom. He paused at the sight that greeted him and slowed his strides so he could quietly move towards the bed. 

He smiled at the sight of Tezuka sprawled fast asleep on his bed. As he watched the assassin breathe in deep slumber, he felt his anger melting away. It was hard to be mad at a person who had obviously worked himself to exhaustion. He had caught Tezuka napping before but he’d never been able to sneak up on him like this. 

Atobe undid his jacket and draped it over a chair that already held Tezuka’s and then sat on the bed to tug off his boots. He looked over at Tezuka who still hadn’t stirred and smiled. Surely they had both earned a well deserved nap before they spoke of murder and other horrible things. 

 

\----

 

Tezuka was confused when he opened his eyes as it was dark and there was a heavy weight across his chest. He had only meant to rest his eyes a moment while he waited for Atobe to arrive back from his meetings. He had no intention to sleep well into darkness and certainly did not expect Atobe to allow him to keep sleeping. 

He sighed and reached out with his free arm to gently brush some blonde strands from Atobe’s face. He couldn’t make out much as Atobe was curled on his side, one arm across Tezuka’s chest and the dimness of the room did not help but he could see enough to make out how relaxed and young the king looked while deep in sleep. It seemed a shame to wake him but he had things to do and could not continue being Atobe’s cuddle toy for the night. He also needed to know what Atobe wanted to do with his would be murderers. 

Tezuka had suggested that he could quickly and discretely take both out well before the party and even dispose of the bodies in a way that they would never be discovered if it was desired. But Oshitari had implied that Atobe may not wish his ministers dead. Or if he did, he may wish to make an example of them instead. So while Tezuka went about discovering evidence of their plots he refrained from any assassinations and instead returned here to ask Atobe his thoughts on the situation. 

Unfortunately it now meant that he had to wake Atobe up from well earned slumber. He brushed strands that had once more fallen into his face behind an ear before somewhat cruelly moving an elbow to nudge Atobe in the chest. When that didn’t work he did so a second time, somewhat harder. 

“Omph. Wha-?!” Atobe was instantly awake and sitting up while looking down at Tezuka. “Oh.. I suppose that was your idea of a gentle wake up?” Atobe asked as he brushed his fingers through his hair. He then reached over to the nightstand to light a lamp and fill the room with a soft glow. 

“It was quite gentle,” Tezuka reassured as he moved to lean against the headboard. “You didn’t wake me.”

“You didn’t wake when I came in. Clearly you were tired.” 

“Your killers won’t care if I’m fully rested or not before they dispose of you, Atobe,” Tezuka said rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

“Killers? How many have I amassed since we’ve spoken last?”

“Two.” 

“That doesn't seem so bad.”

“You realize that most people would consider any number over zero horrible,” Tezuka pointed out. 

“I'm not most people. I'm the king.”

“Hnnn….” Tezuka was less than impressed with that reasoning. Though he supposed it was safe to assume that a person with absolute power would make more than a few enemies along the way. 

“So tell me about these two would be murderers of mine.” 

“They’re your ministers of sustainable farming on mountains and sheep,” Tezuka said. 

“What? You do realize that you arranged for me to be in meetings with them this afternoon. When did you find this out?” Atobe asked looking a bit startled. 

Tezuka gave a small quirk of the lips at Atobe’s reaction but shrugged off any future accusation that Atobe would be raising against him for putting him in danger. “you were perfectly safe surrounded by your guards. And the murderers threatened to act at the ball. Not beforehand.” 

“That is hardly reassuring.” 

“If we’re going to be killing them, I imagine you would want to know what they have been doing lately in their ministerial positions. Also, I needed to know that they were occupied elsewhere while I searched their offices and quarters for evidence.” 

“True… but I still do not like the thought of having shared tea and conversation with two who want me dead.” 

“You do so with me all the time without complaint,” Tezuka pointed out and was amused as Atobe huffed at that. 

“It is not the same and you know it. Besides, I’m quite sure they attempted to murder me with tedium today. Which is something you at least don’t try to do.” 

“I’m not a fan of torture,” Tezuka said. He then reached over to bedside table and ignoring his glasses there reached for the paper below them. 

“What’s this?” Atobe asked as he accepted the paper and held it the best he could to the light. 

“A rubbing of one of the notes you received. While it was clear they took precautions they weren’t as careful as they thought.”

“I see… so they really did send the threats?” 

“They did,” Tezuka said. He knew that Atobe would not take the news as well as he may act. As a king it was hard to find competent people to work with you and that you could trust. It could not be easy finding out that ministers were plotting your demise. 

“So what is your next course of action?” Atobe asked after a moment of pondering the paper. 

“That’s one of the things I came to discuss.” 

“And the others?” Atobe asked finally setting aside the paper. 

“Why you assigned me to this,” Tezuka said. 

“What do you mean? You’re my personal advisor, surely this falls into the realm of your job description.” 

“I don’t recall being given one. And I'm sure your guards or even some of your smarter attendants could have dealt with this.”

Atobe sent a small glare at Tezuka, likely for the insult of his attendants. It would not be the first time that Tezuka had insulted their intelligence or their purpose for existing. Atobe however continued to defend them even if in the next he was going on about some tale of their idiocy. 

“I asked you because you have the skills, motivation and discretion. My guard and attendants can fit some but not all of those qualifications,” Atobe said. “And as you said, without a proper job description you are freer than most who serve me to spend your time on other projects without drawing suspicion.”

“Are you not concerned that I will consider stopping these two as fulfilling our agreement?” Tezuka reached out to grab Atobe’s wrist. “It would be easy to kill you and sneak away with all the liberties you have granted me over the last few months.” 

“Don't be foolish,” Atobe said. He reached over to place a hand over Tezuka’s that held his wrist and gave it gentle pat. “There's no evidence they want to do more than scare me. And even if they do you can't be sure they would succeed. I'm well protected and can also defend myself.”

“And?” Tezuka asked not following Atobe’s logic. 

“That's doubt enough to keep you by my side.” Atobe gave one more gentle pat before pulling back both hands, the other having been released at the first tug from Atobe. 

“Hmm…” Tezuka wasn’t sure he liked Atobe being able to see through his thoughts so easily especially when he had not even realized that that would be true. Clearly it would take more than these tasks that Atobe kept assigning him to free him from his debt if his morals would acknowledge such grey areas. 

“Go sleep, Tezuka. We can finish discussing matters over breakfast.”

Tezuka considered the window and then their jackets both draped over the same chair before looking at his glasses which were quite at home on the bedside table. With a long sigh he stood and then before he could second guess himself, pulled down the covers and slipped back into bed. 

“Tezuka? Wh-” Atobe started asking before Tezuka cut him off. 

“I may as well stay here for tonight. If you don’t mind…” Tezuka said as he moved onto his side, his back to Atobe.

“No. Not at all,” Atobe said. And while he couldn’t see him to confirm it, Tezuka thought the king sounded just a little bit flustered. It was good that he could still keep him on his toes even if Atobe no longer thought him capable of killing him. 

 

\----

“We should dance,” Atobe said as he plucked Tezuka’s champagne glass out of his hand and gave it to a nearby wait staff. 

“You have plenty of young noble ladies to dance with,” Tezuka said. He was at the ball in the ridiculous outfit and mask that Atobe had wanted him to wear and had even stood far too close next to him as they made small talk with several noble families. He considered his social obligations done for the night and would much rather focus on his other more pressing obligation of keeping Atobe alive. 

“Of course. But none could compare to our dashing personal advisor. Besides, we’re in need of personal advising and what better place to discuss it than on the dance floor.” 

Tezuka sighed, thankful most of his expression was hidden by the mask. He could try to argue reason into Atobe but it was clear the king was not in the mood to hear about social propriety and how it was traditional for a man to partner with a woman when dancing and not their taller male advisor. The fact that those close enough to have overheard this exchange were smiling or laughing lightly behind raised hands did not raise his opinion of this idea. Instead it just made him more resigned to his fate. 

“One short dance,” Tezuka warned as he took Atobe’s raised hand. “Who leads?” 

“As King we should lead. But as you are taller and likely less graceful and less able to adapt to new situations, we will allow you the honour of leading us,” Atobe said as if he wasn’t about to cause a room full of gossiping and scandalised elders. 

Tezuka just gave a nod and changed his hold on Atobe’s hand so that it was in the lead position as he walked the king back out onto the dance floor. He chose a spot near Oshitari and the young noble woman he had accompanied tonight. He hadn’t recognized her nor the name that Oshitari had hastily given for his companion but with the costumes and masks, Tezuka thought nothing of it. All that he cared about was that if Oshitari overheard any of their conversation he would not be surprised by it and undoubtedly find an effective way to distract his date from hearing, too. 

“What is it you wished to speak about?” Tezuka asked as he bowed to Atobe as a new song began. 

“The usual,” Atobe replied mirroring Tezuka’s bow though his was not as deep. 

They moved into the starting position and began the slow intricate steps of the court dance. “Tonight’s usual or the more general usual?” Tezuka asked. 

“Tonight’s… I was thinking,” Atobe paused as he was spun out away from Tezuka and then back in. “I don’t want them killed.” 

“Why?”

“If attack is imminent, do what must be done. But somehow I feel they are all talk and bluster and have no true desire to see me dead on the floor.” 

“Did your insight show you this?” Tezuka did not believe in insights and sixth senses. He believed in hard work and research. But it was hard to deny that Atobe’s insight had seen some very interesting and accurate things over their times together. It would not be wise to dismiss it out of hand. 

“Perhaps. But I was thinking more about their characters. They’re nobles who never get noticed and spend most of the time on farms and in the mountains. They do not strike me as the ones to commit regicide because I dislike their meetings.” 

“So what do you think their purpose of the threats were?” Tezuka asked before he spun Atobe out and away toward a new partner. He ended up taking the hand of Oshitari’s date and as they performed the steps he thought of the person that Oshitari had met with after one of their meetings and about one of Atobe’s favoured attendants despite his occasionally poor manners. 

Before he could speak to the person he was dancing with or wonder too precisely on what Oshitari had had to do to convince Shishido to wear a dress and masquerade as a noble woman as his date for the evening the dance required him to send Oshitari his date back and once more accept the king into his arms. 

“Lord Yamada was so startled by me that he stepped on my foot,” Atobe complained. 

“Should I kill him for you?” Tezuka asked, the mask hiding his face so Atobe would likely not be able to tell if he was teasing or not. 

“Not tonight. You have other things to do.” 

“Yes… those Yamabuki ministers and I need a word. Shall they be brought to the prisons or left incapacitated in a room for you to deal with later?”

“Either is fine. I want to know what they thought embarrassing me with death threats would accomplish.”

“Is that what you think this is now about?” Tezuka could understand how embarrassing the king would seem like suitable payback. But this ran the risk of getting themselves killed. And the chances of it working when their king was as stubborn as Atobe was quite slim to begin with.

“It’s my current assumption. And I would prefer them alive until I can confirm.” 

“Then it will be done,” Tezuka said and topped the words off with a flourished bow as the dance came to a close. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” 

“And leave me alone on the dance floor? That’s quite inconsiderate of you, Tezuka,” Atobe said. 

Tezuka just gave his head a small shake but kept a hold of Atobe’s hand as he walked him off the dance floor and towards some nobles that Atobe wouldn’t find too bothersome to chat to. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

“If we must. But do hurry back. We want another dance with you before you bore us with whatever problem of the kingdom’s you’re trying to fix this week,” Atobe said, waving a dismissive hand at Tezuka. 

“I’ll do my best.” With a bow, Tezuka headed away from the gathered nobles and down the hall to a nearby room.

It was short work to switch his overly decorated mask and jacket for the simple ones the waitstaff wore and then pick up the serving tray he had left in there earlier. Returning to the door, he bowed politely to the empty room as if it was still occupied and then made his way down the hall. If his information was correct, the two ministers from Yamabuki should be in the middle of their preparations for whatever act they intended to follow through with. He was not yet convinced that Atobe was right and that they did not truly mean to kill their sovereign. 

His plan was a simple one. Incapacitate them as swiftly as possible, bind them so they could not escape and then look for clues to their intention. Having finished that he would lock the door behind him, change clothes and return to Atobe where he would slip Kabaji the key to the room and then endure a bit more public time at the ball before convincing Atobe to retire with him for the evening. The implications of what that action would cause in the gossip circles but business took precedent over his reputation. 

He took the three pieces of small pipe out of his inside suit jacket pocket and screwed them together to shoot his small blow darts with. They tips had been dipped in a potent but non-lethal sleeping toxin. The more he could limit how much he would be seen and the commotion his subduing them would cause the better. 

Prepared to do what needed to be done, he held up the tray to block the blow dart pipe and gave a short swift knock on the door and entered before the occupants had a chance to say a word. As expected, they were startled by the door opening and clearly had been in the middle of something. 

He was lucky that they were seated at a coffee table, their back to the door. Before they could collect themselves or truly start to chastise him or explain what they were doing he pulled out his gun and quickly blew one dart into the back of one man’s neck. When his partner started to stand and turn he had the pipe reloaded and sunk the other dart into his neck. He wobbled on his feet for a moment before slumping back down, half in his chair and half in his partner’s lap. 

Tezuka was almost appalled by their slow reaction times and their shock at being thwarted. Did these two honestly think they could take on Atobe and the Hyoutei empire? Perhaps Atobe had been justified and thinking the threats were not realistic. 

He walked up to the pair and gave their feet a light kick with his own to see if they were truly out now. He couldn’t tell who was who with their masks on and wondered if he would be able to even with their masks off. They were somewhat known for being rather unmemorable. 

Turning away from them he looked at the table to see what they were doing. The first thing he noticed was a near empty vial. Not a good sign. He picked it up and unstoppered it before lightly wafting the scent to him. He recognized it. It was a similar poison to the one he used to tip his blow darts. Just to be sure, he got the barest drop onto his finger and placed it on his tongue. Yes, it was nothing more than a potion that would put those who ingested it to sleep. 

With so much missing, it probably meant that drinks had been spiked. He guessed the bunch bowl as the colour and taste of the liquid would be best concealed there. He tried to remember if Atobe had drank any of it and was sure that the king had only indulged in the best of the champagne. 

However, it did mean that people at the party were likely starting to feel the effects and dropping off. It would cause alarm but he had faith that Kabaji and his guards would be able to quell it suitably so that no violence occurred. Stoppering the bottle and setting it back down, he looked at what else was on the table. There was a sealed envelope, similar to the others and very likely containing a new threat. He debated whether he should leave it for Atobe to open later but decided if he were to assess if they were a true threat or not he needed all the information he could. 

The seal had set so he took out a small dagger and slid it under the wax to break itl before flipping it open and pulling out the letter. It appeared Atobe was right. They spoke of this being a warning and that next time they would choose fatal methods if their demands were not listened to. So perhaps the drugged punch was the only thing they had planned. He put the letter back in the envelope and set it down before considering rest of the items. Nothing seemed overly threatening or of interest. 

Deciding that he had learned enough, he went over to the ministers and removed his darts. He then walked to the curtains to take the fancy ropes used to hold them back during daylight hours and used them to restrain the feet and hands of the ministers. It would not hold forever as when they woke they would eventually be able to move back to back and work on untying each other but Tezuka had no doubt that the guards would find them well before then. 

Satisfied that everything was under control in here and that there was no obvious signs that would lead back to him, he took apart his blow dart pipe and slipped it, along with the two used darts, back into his jacket pocket. Picking up his abandoned tray, he surveyed the room and not finding anything out of order, left it to head back to the other room and change back into his normal mask and jacket before meeting back with the king. 

 

\----

 

It was late. Tezuka hadn’t been invited to handle the aftermath of the night’s events which suited him fine. He had returned to nobles nodding off and other guests who were confused by their friends and dance partners yawning. A brief exchange of words with Atobe to clear up the matter and things had sprung into action. Those affected were escorted to carriages or empty guest rooms and the punch quickly and discreetly replaced. A few words to smooth everything over plus a show from the hired acrobatic troupe and the evening was back on track with most unaware of the spiked punch. 

It was all rather impressive and Tezuka admired the way in which Atobe and his team worked to make it seem as if nothing had ever been wrong at all. He did wish that Atobe had lost at least enough composure to think that stealing two more dances with him had been a bad idea. Fortunately he had been able to convince Atobe of the merit of dancing with a few young noble ladies after their first dance and Atobe had made excuses to leave his own party with Tezuka after their second. 

He could already hear the gossip starting before they had even left the room with their hands still linked from the last dance but it was all part of the show and Tezuka had long since perfected the art of playing a part just enough and allowing others to assume everything else. Though Atobe had not been in his chambers with Tezuka for more than five minutes before he and Kabaji were sneaking out through one of the secret entrances and heading toward the room where he had left the ministers. 

Knowing he could not be seen leaving the room so soon and still filled with restless energy from earlier he had taken off his mask and sparkling jacket before heading out of the room in his own way and heading to Atobe’s office. 

That was where Atobe had found him a couple of hours later. He was sat behind Atobe’s desk, perusing his letters and notes while enjoying the fire he had started some time ago. 

Atobe paused as he opened the door, causing the guards stationed at it to turn away from the hall and toward their king. They seemed surprised that there was someone in the room but didn’t react further when the king waved them off. Atobe entered and closed the door and then moved to stand in front of the fire. “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable,” Atobe said. 

“I could suggest to you better ways to secure your files. You know I enjoy a challenge,” Tezuka said as he placed the papers back onto Atobe’s desk and then stood from Atobe’s chair. 

“You know that this is an executable offense. Breaking into the King’s office and reading his files is not something to be taken lightly.” 

“I have it on good authority that the king is quite fond of me being alive.” Tezuka moved to stand beside Atobe at the fire and looked into the flames. 

“Only because you’re more useful alive than you are dead,” Atobe countered. 

“If you insist.” A few moments of silence passed between them before Tezuka glanced Atobe’s way. “The ministers?” 

“Currently under guard in their rooms. They have the day to reflect upon what we discussed and what their futures may hold.” Tezuka could hear the tiredness in Atobe’s voice. 

“You’ll allow them to keep their lives? Their titles?” 

“I think that after our discussion our working relationship may yet improve. And as you have shown to me, there are advantages to people owing you their lives and livelihood.” 

Tezuka just nodded at that. He didn’t know whether to be impressed by Atobe’s kindness or by the ruthlessness behind that kindness. Perhaps it was the combination of both he appreciated. “And why do they need a day to think about it?” 

“Ah… well they will need to accept that they will spend more of the year overseeing their duties personally and that our meetings and their written updates will be brief.” 

“I thought you ignoring them was what made them angry in the first place,” Tezuka said. 

“I’m not ignoring them. I’m just condensing them. And they can get more pertinent information and be more useful directing the funds and training they get from me personally.” 

Tezuka was not going to ask what the alternative to this agreement would be or if Atobe would was worried about retaliation in the future. He would trust Atobe to handle his own ministers and affairs as long as they were not directly threatening him again. 

After another moment of silence, Atobe moved to his desk and looked at the papers that Tezuka currently had laid out. “Reading my correspondances about Rikkai?” 

“Tread carefully with them Atobe. Mightier kingdoms than yours have tried and failed to handle them.” Rikkai was an impressive empire and the subjects adored their emperor and his advisor but they were not known for their kindness in the face of mistakes. And they had defeated more than one opposing force by use of dubious means. Nothing good could come from closer ties with them. 

“Then I suppose you won’t approve of the missives I sent inviting them to visit during the Kingdom celebration festivities this year,” Atobe said and then gave a chuckle at Tezuka’s frown. “We can argue about it tomorrow. For now, I am tired and I imagine you must be, too. Let’s go to bed.” 

Tezuka nodded and then gestured to the secret entrance that he knew about but hadn’t used to get here. He didn’t think Atobe would be open to scaling walls to sneak into his own bedroom. “We can discuss it over a late breakfast. I don’t imagine many in the city will be up early tomorrow after tonight’s party.” 

“It was quite an impressive ball, wasn’t it?” Atobe asked as he stepped into the passageway, Tezuka following behind him and forced to listen to just how magnificent Atobe’s ball had been as they walked to their rooms. 

 

The end.

**Author's Note:**

> A belated birthday gift to three of my favourite Tenipuri birthday boys - Atobe, Tezuka and Oshitari. When I started it, I did not expect it to become quite so long or give me quite so much trouble in parts as the boys delved into court intrigue and discovered the Jimmies were the cause.


End file.
